The group behind the Oscars has issued an apology almost 50 years in the making.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has apologized to Sacheen Littlefeather over the way she was treated at the 1973 Oscars, when she famously turned down an award on Marlon Brando's behalf. She was booed on stage as she explained that Brando could not accept his Oscar for The Godfather due to "the treatment of American Indians today" in Hollywood.
This protest led to Littlefeather being "professionally boycotted, personally attacked and harassed, and discriminated against for the last 50 years," the Academy noted. She has said John Wayne had to be restrained from attacking her on stage, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified," Academy President David Rubin said in an apology to Littlefeather. "The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable."
Rubin also praised Littlefeather's "powerful statement." The Academy is now set to host An Evening with Sacheen Littlefeather, a "program of conversation, reflection, healing, and celebration" with Littlefeather at the Academy Museum in September. Littlefeather said she "never thought I'd live to see the day," calling the Academy Museum program a "dream come true."
"Regarding the Academy's apology to me, we Indians are very patient people — it's only been 50 years!" she said. "We need to keep our sense of humor about this at all times."
Littlefeather added that it's "heartening to see how much has changed" since 1973.
-
‘The worry is far from fanciful’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How are Americans bracing for the end of SNAP?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Millions depend on supplemental federal food funds that are set to expire this month, as the government shutdown begins to be acutely felt
-
Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
